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Reflection

           Studying abroad in Bath, England was hands-down the most eye-opening, miraculous, and amazing experiences I��ve had. While abroad, I learned more about myself, my surroundings, and the world I live in, and so much more. Studying abroad was not something I had assumed I would be doing the summer before my senior year of college, and what was even more unexpected was the amount that I would learn while I was abroad. Overall, I think the most meaningful thing I learned when I was abroad is to be brave. While that may sound cliché or stereotypical, there are so many instances where bravery was crucial, even when I least expected it. The first instance was boarding the plane; before traveling to England, I had never been out of the country and the flight was only my second time on an airplane. The first time I went on an airplane, I almost couldn’t board the plane because I had a panic attack, so I knew it was going to test my strength. Fortunately, I boarded the plane without any anxiety, and was just dealing with the excited butterflies in my stomach knowing that I would be in a faraway place in 8 hours. A lot of bravery was crucial in just trying new things and being in a place I had never been with people I did not know and adapting to my surroundings. I made so many friends and met so many people. I remember calling my mom two days after I had arrived and sobbing on the phone because I was worried about making friends. She told me to be brave and that everyone else in the program felt the same way, so I should be courageous and just talk to as many people as possible and it did me well because I have some life-long friends that I will always share the experience of studying abroad with. Throughout the trip there were numerous other times where I felt like I was brave including trying punting in Oxford, planning a trip with my housemates to Wales and finding our way around, and finding my way around Bath and London; the list goes on, but I will never forget those moments.

           As far as skills that I felt were most useful on this trip that I had learned while in college, are both being open-minded and communication skills. I feel like being open-minded was something expected on this trip and I have become a more open-minded person since coming to college. I am more accepting and open to learning about other people with different experiences, learning about things I thought I may not be interested in, and trying new things. Additionally, I think that communication skills were extremely important on this trip, both with those in the program and people in England. When we took the trip to London, I stayed later with my housemate in the city to do some more exploring. At one point, we were unsure where the closest underground station was, so we asked some locals from the area who not only explained where the station was, but also told us about an app that had a map of all the underground stations. We ended up talking to them about the program we were in and what we were doing in London and where we were trying to get to. They were extremely helpful and friendly.

           I think this trip also shattered some stereotypes about English people that I had assumed were true prior to coming. One of those being, that they are unfriendly and dislike Americans. But from being on this trip, I found that all it took was starting a conversation and majority of the time, people were open to talking and were friendly. I can’t recall any times that I was treated rudely by a local either.

           On another note, I think that as far as skills that I would like to strengthen would be to get better at traveling. While this is kind of an odd goal, I want to be better at going to a country I’ve never been to before and find my way around, especially using public transportation. Of course, this skill can only get better the more that I travel, so I think that is another thing that I would like to accomplish. I have only been to England so far in the 21 years that I have lived and there are so many other places out there that are worth exploring and experiencing. Bath was a small city full of history and beautiful architecture and I know there are so many other places out there so different, but so worth seeing in my lifetime.

           Based on my experience abroad, I think this experience would make me a top candidate for a job in the field of my interest for multiple reasons. As an English major and my related interests in that field, I would be a great candidate as a travel writer because of the places that I visited while abroad. While our program was based in Bath, I managed to visit Cornwall, Stonehenge and Glastonbury, London and some of the surrounding suburbs, Cardiff in Wales, Oxford, and so many other places, all within a five-week timespan. I think the ability to do this would aid me in being able to write about how to travel in a short amount of time, but visiting a lot of places. While I was abroad, I also kept a travel blog, which was also my first travel blog. I think that the style of writing is extremely different when writing about travel and having this blog allowed me to explore that style of writing and work on my skills as a travel writer.

           As far as my interests in political science goes, this trip gave me some firsthand experiences in international affairs. While abroad, the Brexit vote was going to happen in late June and it just so happened that our class was in London the day of and the day after the vote. Prior to the vote taking place, many citizens were canvassing in Bath as to why the UK should leave the European Union. When we were in London during the days of the vote, it was awesome to have driven past the Prime Minister’s house and see loads of police and media standing outside of the gates. After the results came out, I took the opportunity to ask a few individuals what they thought of the results, how they had voted, and what they thought of the results. I got mixed reviews from locals, but it was surreal being in the UK when such an important vote was occurring and seeing it happen from an outsiders’ perspective. I think that having that experience in my pocket is crucial to my interest of politics because it had such an impact on people from the U.K. and not only affected the politics of the U.K., but also affected other international states, both in the EU and those not part of it.

           Overall, my experiences abroad have shaped me in ways that I would have never expected, both in my personal and professional life. I still think about the experiences that I had and it seems unreal to me. Studying abroad changed my life for the better and opened my life up to the world of possibilities and travel. Traveling and studying in England challenged and educated me, but most of all inspired me.

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Prior Park

20/6/2016

     As part of the Jane Austen course, our class went on a few day trips to learn more about Austen and 19th century England. One of these trips included a walk up the hill (literally) to Prior Park. Unfortunately the day that we went, it was completely gloomy and pouring rain (stereotypical UK weather), BUT it was still a beautiful park. 

     The park applied to our class for multiple reasons: one, it was an example of what was called a “pleasure garden,” and two, it exemplified the idea of politeness. Pleasure gardens were very popular in the Austen era and were included in a few of the books that we read, but especially mentioned in Northanger Abbey. These gardens were sources of entertainment and used as places for young, single women and men to meet in hopes that they may marry a wealthy man. 

     “Politeness” is the concept that encompasses manners, dress, society, and money. In a way, it’s showing off your wealth to those whose opinions matter to you and acting a certain way, mainly poised, in front of others/ those in society. One way that many people would show this is through their property. Their houses would be polished and proper and have beautiful landscaping done to the land surrounding their home. Additionally, one goal of the property was to have fantastic views of the city and the landscape. Prior Park is an example of such. 

     This is the view from the top of the Park, overlooking Bath and Palladian Bridge at the bottom.

     Prior Park was “created in the 18th century by local entrepreneur Ralph Allen” (National Trust), and not only includes vast gardens, but also includes the Palladian Bridge. When we visited the property, the bridge had etchings of the years that people had visited, along with their initials. Our class found some back as early as 1812!

The estate at the top of the Park.

Palladian Bridge.

The view from the bridge looking up at the estate.

The bridge at the bottom of the hill.

The way that the estate and bridge are laid out exemplifies how if guests were in the estate, they would look out the window and see a beautiful view of the city and bridge below. If the guests decided to wander down to the bridge itself, they would walk through the trail on a path that would take them past ponds, flowers, and animals scurrying around. When they got to the bridge, they could talk in quiet and take in the scenery, animals, and beauty around them. 

     Overall, I loved this class trip and definitely would go again to the park, especially on a beautiful, sunny day. As you can tell, it was quite dreary and rainy when we went, but the experience was nonetheless amazing.

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Best of Bath

I am going to be sharing some of my favorite bars in Bath that I went to! I think I am going to make a series out of this “Best of Bath,” and would like to include restaurants, clubs, and interesting sights too! 

     Bars  

      1. Opium- This is by far my favorite bar/ lounge in Bath. The lounge is literally a hole in the wall, which just adds to how majestic it is. The furnishings and design of the entire place is fabulous and the staff there is awesome. The bouncer, Shane, is a really interesting man, so it’s worth talking to him and his dog that hangs out on his back. The bartenders are super efficient and while they are making drinks, are sure to carry on a conversation with you and the bartenders specials are tasty as well. As far as the drink list goes, this is the type of place you will want to go if you are looking for some good cocktails. Although they are quite pricey, they do have student night (which was a plus for me), but it’s definitely worth trying a couple different drinks because they are some of the best you’ll have there. Opium is like falling through the rabbit hole and being transported into a place you’ve never experienced. 

Address:  The Vaults, Spring Gardens Rd, Bath BA2 6PJ, United Kingdom

     2. The Boater- The Boater is a pub-style bar with lots of great beers on tap and bottled. Although you can get mixed drinks, I’d go for the beers. On Thursday nights, The Boater does trivia night and they have a few other specials nights as well. The bar is 2 levels with the basement being tavern-like and leads out to a nice beer garden in the back overlooking the Pulteney Bridge and the River Avon. The staff is super friendly and it’s a great place to hang out and relax with friends. It’s not super busy usually, which is always a plus.

Address:  9 Argyle St, Bath BA2 4BQ, United Kingdom

     3. The Bell Inn- The Bell Inn is a pub that will definitely make you feel like a local. As one of the first bars that I went to when I was in Bath, the atmosphere is relaxing and there’s consistently good music playing. If you have the time to read up on the history of The Bell Inn, it’s a pub that was almost closed down, but many of the locals cherished this worn-in bar and eventually over 200 people bought a portion of the bar and is basically run by the locals. There is live music almost every day and on Sundays have a record sale/ record night where you can play your choice of music. It’s a hole in the wall, but is magical as soon as you step inside. 

Address:  103 Walcot St, Bath BA1 5BW, United Kingdom

     4. Malloy’s- As far as Irish-style pubs go, this was my favorite. I took my mom here when she came to visit and she immediately fell in love. The pub has an upstairs and downstairs, the downstairs is the main eating area with a bar and the upstairs is another bar with more seating. With wooden stools and tables, Irish pub food, and bartenders with great beards, it feels like you’re actually in Ireland (minus the accents). The food is cheap and really good and they have an awesome selection of beers as well. On a separate note, the pub hosts events, and while I was there, the European football tournament was going on. Both floors were full of people and the beer was flowing. They put up huge projections of the game and the atmosphere was lively and cheerful and makes you feel as if you’re a real Englishman. 

Address:   1 Barton St, Bath BA1 1HQ, United Kingdom

     5.     The Earl- For those who want a fun atmosphere and inexpensive drinks,The Earl is the place. This was a bar that I went out to multiple times because of the prices of their drinks. During certain hours, they do 2-For-1 drinks, and although they’re on the fruitier side, is a good place for a girls (or guys) night out. There’s a live DJ in the room next to the bar and is a great place to meet people, whether locals or those from the cities surrounding Bath. There’s a hookah bar outside if you’re into that as well, and an awesome club (Second Bridge) right next to the bar.

Address:  10 Manvers St, Bath BA1 1JQ, United Kingdom

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7/1/2016| sharing a well-deserved Guinness after exploring Stonehenge and Glastonbury (at Malloys)

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Market Man. (at Bath, United Kingdom)

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blissful in bath (at Bath, United Kingdom)

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Cardiff!

Hey! 

This post is quite a bit late but is about my trip to Cardiff on Saturday, June 17! I think I’m just going to do a little photo journal with captions, instead of explaining every detail. But just so you get the general gist of the trip, I made a friend on the bus named Bed, who was a born and raised Welshman, we walked to Cardiff Bay and ate lunch there, we split up to do our own things, so I went with my girl friends to go on a tour of Cardiff Castle, taking a metro to get there and stopping to ride on a carousel before getting to the castle, we met back up, and finished the day with drinks at Y Mochyn Du. 

Walking in Cardiff towards the Bay, where we ate lunch. There was a small street market and lots of cool shops and people!

A few photos at the Bay and at the metro station. The Welsh language is so interesting, as you can see from the photos.

We went on a tour of Cardiff Castle and there was also a fair going on the same day, with people dressed up and craft-making going on.

Photos of the interior of the Castle.

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ASE Classes?

     It’s currently 8:41 pm here and my blog is having a hard time uploading photos, so I figured I would just create a text post and talk to you all about my classes that I’m taking here! I’m sure you’ve been wondering why I haven’t talked about them that much and the main reason is that while there’s classes going on, there’s also a bunch of traveling as well and it’s taking up a large portion of my time. Therefore, as it’s getting close to the end of the summer session, I will update you on all of my classes!

     In case you don’t already know, I’m taking two classes while I am here and getting credits for them: Jane Austen and The Groovy Gothic. I have Jane Austen Monday through Thursday, from 11:30-1:00 and then an hour and a half lunch break. After that, I have The Groovy Gothic from 2:30-4:00 and the rest of the day free. 

     My Jane Austen class has been going by extremely fast. We have gone through 3 books so far in 3 weeks; first was Northanger Abbey, then Pride and Prejudice and we just finished up Emma today. The course has basically been split up into different sections since we have two different professors. On the one hand, we have a professional historian named Jackie who leads us on walking trips and tours around Bath and explains how certain places are important to Jane Austen and her writing. Our first trip was a tour around Bath, including a stop at The Royal Crescent. SInce that first trip, we have also walked the path that Austen writes about in Northanger Abbey in the footsteps of Catherine and Isabella, walking past the Roman Baths, the Pump Rooms, and seeing the architecture of buildings that were created at that time. We have also visited Sydney Gardens, also mentioned in Northanger Abbey, one of the homes Austen lived in at Bath, and recently took a trip to Prior Park to study the term of ‘politeness’ in Pride and Prejudice. As someone who is not a history major, it’s been exhilarating and unbelievable to walk around these places that Austen mentions in so many of her novels. With Jackie, we have also looked at archival transcripts and letters that Austen sent to family members and have been studying the culture of the times, including dress and societal expectations.

     My other professor for Jane Austen, is Octavia Cox, who teaches the classes focused on the literature of the texts. Octavia went to Oxford and currently works there so it’s amazing to have her teaching the class. Most of the time we read critical essays of Austen, book reviews, etcetera and really analyze the word choice and underlying meanings in Austen’s texts. We had our first paper for that class due last week, which I was extremely anxious about, and have two presentations next week as well. One is a five minute presentation on a passage from Emma and we are to give a textual analysis of the passage we chose. The other presentation is to be ten minutes long on the way that deception and honesty play a role in Pride and Prejudice. Both should be fun to create and put together. 

     Moving on, the other course I am taking is The Groovy Gothic. I. Love. This. Course. It’s amazing. So this course, taught by UMW professor, Antonio Barrenechea, is a focus on how Frankenstein and Dracula have been adapted into Hammer films that came out during the 60s and 70s and how all of these things interact with the culture of the times, especially the Swinging London period. The first text we read was Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, which I highly recommend. We then watched three Hammer film adaptations of the film: The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), and The Horror of Frankenstein (1970). All are such interesting films in the way that they adapt the novel into film version. I would highly recommend all of these films, even though some can be unintentionally humorous at times. Within the past few weeks of these films, there have also been presentations on the music and fashion of those times, including one I did on The Who’s, My Generation album. Other presentations included a focus on Pink Floyd, The Beatles, James Bond, Twiggy/ Jean Shrimpton, and the photographers of the time. We just turned in a paper today actually in which we puzzled together how the novel paralleled to one of the adaptations and how both of these could be applied and analyzed into the Swinging London period. 

     This past week though, we read and analyzed the infamous novel, Dracula by Bram Stoker. Again, highly recommend this book. It’s gruesome, gory, and sexual all at once and in all the right places. If you are a vampire fanatic like my mom, make sure you at least read this book so you know where some of the roots and ideas surrounding vampires came from. This weekend we will be traveling to London (!!!) for the experience of a lifetime: a drive along King’s Road in Chelsea, an archive session at the British Film Institute, a stop in Soho, along with driving past Abbey Road, a visit to the Museum of London, a Jack the Ripper Tour (!!!!), and finally a stop at Spitalfields Market. Wow. A friend and I will be traveling back separately from the rest of ASE to go to the British Museum, the London Eye, and a few other tourists stops and I am stoked. After this trip, we will be bogged down in watching Dracula adaptations, including international adaptations and will have a final paper due the last Thursday of classes. 

     That about wraps up my courses here and I could not be happier or feel more lucky and blessed about the chance I got to experience all of this. I will be signing off and preparing for my trip this weekend, but stay tuned for some pictures and stories about London!

-HNS

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Hello friends!

I have a few posts coming up from this past weekend and the first one I will be describing is my Friday trip to University of Oxford. A little (major) thing to understand when you visit Oxford: people are EXTREMELY pretentious and unfriendly. If you think it's your fault, it's not; it's them. We started the day at 7:30 and got to Oxford around 9:30/10. Our first moments there were just walking through the campus and past Christ Church (which is also where they filmed Harry Potter!) and the dean of ASE (Jonathan) told us about how students were finishing up their exams for the year. Side note: exams here are a HUGE deal. It's four hours of testing for one exam and the students wear graduation-like garb and different colored carnations determining how close they are to finishing. We saw LOTS of students who had just finished their exams and were covered in cake and confetti and were walking around drinking champagne. It was awesome.

The entrance/ garden next to Christ Church.

Christ Church.

Other end of Christ Church. Fun fact: Harry Potter was filmed here.

We ended up at Radcliffe Camera and were let go to do our own exploring there. The campus is extremely beautiful and full of amazing architecture, right down to the smallest details. Another note: the Oxford campus is HUGE. Here's a map with the multiple locations, schools, and libraries, just so you can get an idea of what it's like: http://goo.gl/IQM7uw. Again: it's HUMONGOUS.

Radcliffe Camera is one of the libraries on campus and leads into the Bodleian Library, which is situated in a square that you can walk through and see the exterior of the libraries. Both Radcliffe and Bodleian are fantastical buildings. The architecture of just the exterior has such meticulous detail and looks more like a castle, or a place for royalty, more so than a library for students. 

Radcliffe Camera.

After wandering through these areas, we tried to decide what to do next and at first we thought we were going to get a tour of Christ Church, but it cost 8 pounds, which we thought a little pricey. So we opted for some shopping and a quick bite before doing some more exploring. After this, we ended up going to Blackwell’s Bookstore and in that moment, I fell in love. Blackwell’s supplies the books for the universities and based on the map above, that’s a lot of universities and students. This also means that the bookstore is amazingly huge. They have books on every subject you can think of, along with otherworldly fiction sections and a mini-store dedicated just to music. I could spend the rest of my life there. Seriously. 

After walking through here for a while, we went next door to another library that had a FREE exhibit going on called, “Shakespeare’s Dead,” and was magical. 

And then for the main event of the day: punting. Punting is basically steering a gandola-like boat in the water that has 4 people on board and one person ‘punting’ (steering) with a straight, metal pole. Sounds easy, eh? My arms were shaking by the end of my turn. The first fifteen minutes in the boat I was extremely afraid and screamed about every five minutes. But, I soon calmed down, enjoyed the ride, took some photos, and even gave it a shot myself. For someone who has never tried crew or a water sport, I didn’t think I was too shabby. I wish I could get some more practice and would definitely go again if I could get better at it. Here are some pics on the water:

My housemate, Jabari.

Eheneden, Tamir, and Sydney.

After this, everyone was completely exhausted and that marked the end of our trip to Oxford. It was short, but sweet. The next day, Saturday (6/18), we ventured across the pond to Cardiff, Wales in what may have been one of my favorite days so far. Stay tuned for that post, along with a few others this week! I have a paper due Thursday, but am excitedly awaiting going to London this weekend with my Groovy Gothic class for a Jack the Ripper tour, a quick stop at Abbey Road, a visit to the British Film Institute, and the Museum of London (just to name a few things!)

-HNS

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new blog!

Wordpress was being difficult and didn’t have enough storage for all of my photos, so I’m switching blogging programs! Hopefully this will work more efficiently and I have a lot more experience with Tumblr than I do Wordpress, so I will just be putting up the remainder of my posts here. Welcome aboard!